Teachers' union support of candidates is voluntary

The Mercury published an op-ed by the right-wing Commonwealth Foundationís Nathan Benefield attacking public school teachers and unions. It was missing some key pieces of information ó actual relevant facts.

I am a proud member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. I support pro-public education political candidates with my voluntary contributions (not dues dollars) to PSEAís Political Action Committee for Education.

I do these things voluntarily. No one forces me to do it.

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Not a nickel of PSEA dues goes to support political candidates. No PSEA member is required to contribute to our political action committee. And, by the way, that committee supports both Republicans and Democrats.

Mr. Benefield would like the readers to believe that PSEA members and non-members working in public schools are forced, like robots, to do these things. Itís just not true.

Mr. Benefield would like the readers to believe that there is something wrong with unions requiring non-members to pay a fair share fee. Fair share is just what it says: itís fair to pay for what you get. Fair share is a fee for actual services; nothing more, nothing less. Unions represent everyone covered by a collective bargaining agreement, even non-members.

And what non-members pay is a fair share fee for bargaining and grievance services for their compensation, benefits, and working conditions. The right of a public sector union to charge a fair share fee has been held to be constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Fair share doesnít force anyone to join a union and thus always preserves freedom of choice. Members are members; fee payers have elected not to join and simply pay a proportional, fair share fee.

The Commonwealth Foundation seems pretty intimidated by the 182,000 PSEA members who educate Pennsylvaniaís children and advocate for laws and policies that help those children to learn. If Mr. Benefieldís organization had its way, public schools would be defunded and private corporations would be making profits on tax dollars diverted away from childrenís education.